Keywords:

operational features;

thermal diffusivity;

ceramic materials;

polycrytallfne alumina;

thermal conductuctivities

Summary

A radial heat flow instrument has been developed and computerized for essentially automatic determination of thermal diffusivity of ceramic materials from 200°–1140°C in a single scan from which thermal conductivity values were calculated. The basic operation of the instrument and its unique features are discussed with respect to procedural simplicity, rapidity, and ease by which tabular and graphical results are obtained. The Instrument has been tested with high density, high purity polycrystallne alumina and the results obtained were in statistical agreement with literature values to within a few percent. A repeatability of about ±1.5% has been obtained with both alumina and insulating firebrick. The system is applicable to materials with thermal conductivities of 0.05 cal-sec−1cm−10C−1 (21 W m-10K-t) or less.